Sidecar aces Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead will be looking to put the disappointment of the Monza non-finish two weeks ago behind them when they venture to Germany for tomorrow's third round of the 2003 world championships.

The venue is the tricky and highly technical 3.667kilometres 14-corner Oschersleben near Hanover, and it'll be Webbo's fifth visit there.

Said Webster: "After not finishing in Italy, Klaus Klaffenbock has now got a decent points lead and as there are only nine rounds this year we really do have to get a win to try to start catching him up.

"It's a tough track to race on - being a modern circuit it feels a bit too geometric and the straights are short. If it's hot, it'll be hard work. That said, it is the kind of track that seems to suit us."

On four previous visits - the last time was last September - Webbo has had two wins, a second place and a non-finish, and has been on pole every time. He also holds the current lap record at one minute 31.79 seconds, set in 2001.

His first visit there was for the penultimate round in 1998, where a race win saw him pick up a sixth world title.

To make up on Klaffenbock's 16 -oint lead, Webster and engine tuner Stuart Johnson have been hard at work preparing the Castrol Suzuki team's 185bhp GSXR1000 motor.

"We've now got the 2003 spec motors ready, and built up a better air box system, something which may have contributed to our Monza problems," explained Webster.

"There we had to use the 2003 injectors on the 2002 engine. This time we'll have the 2003 spec motors and I can't wait to get going."

But such was the workload before the team set off for Germany, the engines have not yet been run in.

Added Webster: "We'll use the spare but brand new 2002 engine in the first practice, and then change motors and use the second session to get the 2003 motor set up and run in.

"We also have a new wider front Yokohama tyre to test, but I'm most excited about getting the new engine going."

Tomorrow's race will be his 25th world championship race in Germany, a run that goes back to 1984 when he raced at the Nurburgring in only his fifth GP, notching up his first rostrum posotion with a third place.

Main opposition will come from series leader Klaffenbock who is feeling confident with two rostrum places in the opening two rounds, and current world champion Steve Abbott.

Updated: 12:13 Friday, May 30, 2003